Bill Sirois ( that's spelled Cirrhosis as far as OMC is concerned) made a laugher of the competition in the 1971 Havasu Outboard World Championship, setting records in both speed and distance- winning easily.
"I couldn't have caught him. There was no way short of trouble with his boat that would have given me the race" said 2nd place Reggie Fountain from Tarboro, North Carolina. Little Reggie, who had a great year in 1971, was over 12 miles behind Sirois when the Lake Havasu City classic finished.
It was a very big win for the Mercury Factory. It was the new "Twister" engine that gave the Mercury crew seven of the first 10 places, including the first single. The easy- going Sirois, who calls Fort Lauderdale home, led the Merc charge as he successfully defended the championship he won in 1970 and hung up distance marks of 660 miles and an average speed of 82 1/2 miles per hour. Sirois' old marks were 640 miles and a speed of 79 miles per hour. The difference had to be in the Twister engines for Sirois was driving the same 20ft wooden Molinari hull that Jim Merten drove to second place at last years Havasu Championships. Although Sirois is one of the best drivers in the world, he isn't that many miles better than Merten, so it must have been the engines.
Third place was annexed by Harold Eis of Topeka, Kansas. Harold, who won the first two Havasu races and is a contender in every race he enters, was the first non-factory finisher. The first three finishers were duals. OMC didn't enter any multiple engine crafts. The singles furnished the excitement after it got to the point that everyone realised that the only way the sandy-haired Sirois could lose was to break down.
Tough little Renato Molinari of Lake Como, Italy ended up taking first single and fourth overall. Bob Herring of Sheboygen, Wisconsin, started the second day for Molinari, Renato driving the last two and a half hours. Early single action was something like this. Herring took the lead early, in fact pacing the entire race. He stayed out front until he had to beach the boat with a hole in the bottom. Then Molinari moved to the front, holding the top spot until he pitted on the 54th lap. Mike Downard, another Merc factory driver, then set the pace.
Little Mike, the winner of the Paris 6 Hour, took the lead on the second day of racing, but beached his boat in front of the judges' stand on the 104th lap when his engine caught fire!
Bill Seebold, another Merc factory man and many times a National Champion in both OPC and alky outboard racing took the single lead, but had to give it up in the pits.
Mike Wallace of Venice, California, winner of last years Powerboat Marathon of Champions and a long time dominant force in inbord marathon racing, put his Evinrude powered Schulse boat in front. About this time is when the crowd of 40,000 started blowing their minds.
Berlin 6 Hour winner Jimbo McConnell, who now gets his mail in Wonder Lake, Illinois, when not working at the OMC factory was really flying his Scotticraft/Evinrude rig at this point and moved past Wallace on the 138th lap. Nine laps later Jimbo barrel rolled the Scotticraft twice. Thrown out, he swam back to the upright boat and climbed aboard. He had to dig part of the fibreglass cowling out of the flywheel before he could start again.
Wallace was back in the lead. But could he hold off the relentless Molinari who already had lapped him twice to make up some of his first day deficit. It didn't appear that Molinari had a chance for he had to pit. His crew fueled him in 15 seconds. It had been planned that Herring would replace Molinari at that stop, but Mercury strategy makers called that off for fear that some time might be lost in making the driver switch. Molinari went back on the course and caught Wallace with three laps to go and won the singles division by a mere 24 seconds. A one lap penalty assessed Wallace at the start of the race on Saturday had cost him first single engine honors. Herring and Molinari picked up three laps on the field on Sunday, even lapping the first three finishing dual engine boats.
While Jimbo was trying to pick the teeth of his flywheel, Dick Sherrer of Seal Beach, California also passed him. Sherrer, a one time winner of Powerboat's Marathon of Champions, brought his Molinari/Mercury across the line as 6th overall and third single. Jimbo finally got things going to take 7th place for OMC. Molinari, Wallace, and Sherrer were all on the same lap, the 155th.
So, the singles really aren't competitive against the bigger duals at this stage of the game. They are getting close. But, Sirois, who cooled it on the second day in turning three less laps than on Saturday, was another 10 laps or 40 miles ahead after 8 hours of racing. And, you'd better believe that everone of the top finishing singles were on the hairy edge.
Rounding out the top 10 were veteran Hiram (Mickey) Mueck of La Port, Texas in a Glastron Molinari powered by dual Mercurys. Ron Brown of Fort Collins, Colorado obviously in good health after his serious injuries of last season was 9th. Powerboat Mag owner, Bob Nordskog in a single Johnson powered Schulse was 10th.
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